The Twins have embarked upon a search for a new skipper after the somewhat surprising decision to remove Paul Molitor from the post. He had been a holdover appointee from the prior front office regime. The current hiring process, then, will represent the first opportunity for chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine to install their own preferred voice in the dugout.
As we have done with other openings of this kind, we’ll use this post to track the early developments in the hiring process in Minnesota.
First-Round Interviews
- The Twins have interviewed Astros bench coach Joe Espada, tweets MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. (Fancred’s Jon Heyman had previously noted the Twins’ interest in doing so.) Espada is in his first season as Alex Cora’s successor in that role, and he’s already drawn reported interest from the Angels and the Rangers in their own managerial searches.
- Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde has interviewed with the Twins, per 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson (Twitter link). The 45-year-old served as the Cubs’ first base coach for three years prior to ascending to bench coach. He has five years of minor league managing under his belt and has been tied to numerous managerial postings around the league.
- Rays field coordinator Rocco Baldelli has interviewed, too, Wolfson tweets. Still just 37, he’s spent four years on the Rays’ staff since retiring as a player earlier this decade. Baldelli’s role as field coordinator was created in advance of the just-completed campaign and represented an expansion of his duties, seemingly to encompass some more forward-thinking approaches for the famously experimental organization.
- Giants bench coach Hensley Meulens has interviewed with the Twins, per Wolfson. Meulens has been a popular candidate in previous managerial searches and has 15 years of coaching experience –mostly as a hitting coach. The Curacao native has also managed Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.
- Wolfson adds that current Twins bench coach Derek Shelton has also interviewed. He has ample experience in MLB dugouts, but only just finished his first season in his current role. Hired away from the Blue Jays, where he functioned as a quality control coach, Shelton spent the prior dozen years as a hitting coach with the Rays and Indians.
- The Twins have already held a meeting with hitting coach James Rowson, per La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. While his coaching background is somewhat specialized in the hitting arena, Rowson has obviously drawn positive attention from the front office. As Neal describes it, he’s an “ebullient” presence in the clubhouse.
Expected To Interview
- Also per Neal, the Twins would like to host chats with recently retired David Ross. A long-time backstop, Ross played as recently as 2016, wrapping up his playing career with the World Series-champion Cubs.
Other Potential Candidates
- The Twins at least performed some background work on Brewers bench coach Pat Murphy, Wolfson (via Twitter). Murphy is obviously tied up for the moment assisting manager Craig Counsell in the Milwaukee organization’s postseason run. The former interim Padres manager has held the Brewers bench coach position since the 2016 campaign.
- Wolfson also tabs Indians bench coach Brad Mills as a name to watch. (Twitter link.) His prior experience with Falvey, who came over from the Cleveland front office, certainly makes Mills an obvious potential candidate. Whether he’ll be asked to interview isn’t yet known. With the Indians’ season just drawing to a close, though, that seems reasonably likely to take place.
Not Under Consideration
- The Twins had reportedly hoped to chat with recently retired big leaguer and current MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa, per Neal, but “DeRo” is happy in his current role and is not pursuing managerial openings despite interest from multiple clubs, per reports from Morosi and Heyman (Twitter links).
I’m just curious what they players reactions to DeRosa might be. He’s a former player, but has no managing experience, and would players have any resentment if he’s criticized them as an analyst?
I suspect very few Twins players routinely watch Mark DeRosa and if they can’t handle a little criticism I don’t know how they made it to the big leagues.
I’ve never heard Mark DeRosa say “You know, that player is almost as talentless as he is lazy and has no business playing at a level higher than Thursday night softball at that roach infested bar down by the refinery”. DeRosa would be just fine.
If you can’t handle TV analysts you certainly can’t handle coaches who make a point of getting you to work on your flaws.
I still don’t get why someone would want him to manage their team after the fact he said Mike Trout should sit out all of next season except to play the Yankees and Red Sox.
Lol clearly you have no clue.
DeRosa salivated over managing in San Diego when asked a few months back on the network. If he really wants that, it could very well be a possibility this time next year.
Go with Joe Ross! Ex-catchers make good managers
Bobby V!
Tanned, rested, and ready.
Bobby Vinton? He’s 83 years old.
Hahahaha
Quality control coach? Really? WTF?
Very little quality or control with the Jays squad.
I wish we’d go after Ozzie guillen I wanted him when we were looking the last time.
Why?
This cannot happen.
They can have Kapler
Great. Now I have to look up ebullient
I hope Mike Quade, former Rochester – and Chicago Cubs – manager applies and gets an interview. He has done a good job at every level.
I do not think the Twins are accepting applications. They are interviewing from their own internal list they developed
Correct. I have not seen the job posting on Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed, LinkedIn, or other similar sites.
Well, they do have a cardboard sign with “Help Wanted, Inquire Within” written with magic marker, taped on the front door of the ballpark.
And the Twins pens are broken, so they can’t add to that list they have.
Yeah, but that may be to clean urinals too.
I think the position is Brad Mills’ to lose. I’d be really surprised if MIN is seriously considering anyone else.
Let them have Francona. Then name Sandy Alomar Jr manager of the Indians.
let him take mills with him
It’s hard to believe Rocco Baldelli would probably be playing still without that muscle disorder. It seems like ages ago he retired but he’s only 37.
I hear Dusty Baker is still available.
Ever since Davis Ross left the Cubs team, they haven’t been the same. I’d hire him in whatever capacity it takes to get him in the dugout. Bench coach/catchers coach…
Can’t win on talent and swag alone. It seems to me from the outside that David Ross was something like the lens that focused that team in the right direction.
Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison, Tony Oliva, Rod Carew (at least they’d learn to bunt)…..oh well, guess it didn’t work for Molitor……how bout Jim Kaat…get him out of the booth (“back when I used to shower with Bob Gibson…”)
If we expand the search to include deceased individuals that opens up a lot of great candidates.
Connie Mack
Lloyd McClendon. We deserve one more base-throwing, hat-kicking tantrum.
They should never have fired Paul Moliter he has forgotten more about baseball then most young guys know
stop
But I bet most young guys can spell his name right
I really think that since he’s had a chance to mature, Billy Heywood deserves another shot. What he did with that ’94 squad is historically underrated. And I hear he has gone through counseling to curb his adult-film addiction.
Isn’t Scotty Ullger going to get his compulsory sham interview?
Derek Shelton might have been their guy all along, wouldn’t be surprised if he gets it.
I think they owe at least an interview to Doug Mientkiewicz after firing him for basically no reason other than “shake up”
Why would they want Douggie Baseball to manage the major league team when they didn’t like how he managed in the minors. Part of the blame for the recent young players lack of fundamentals falls squarely on Doug’s back. Plus, his tantrum after being fired was enough to keep him forever in another organization.
I believe Dave Martinez was the bench coach last season, with Hyde getting the job after he got the Nats job…unless Davey has been with he Nats 2 years already, which could be possible as life moves pretty fast, you better stop and look around once in a while..
Hyde was the bench coach for the Cubs in the 2018 season, replacing Martinez who was the bench coach in 2017 and took the Nationals managing position starting in 2018, his first year as manager of the Nationals.
I believe Brad Ausmus would be a great fit for the Twinkie fans!
Joe Espada is a hot commodity seems every one wants him who knows why
Go to Angels’ Rangers’ manager thread… First 2 posts.
Firsr comment of each… wont have to scroll down… Angels and Rangers manager job threads.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/10/the-rangers-managerial-search.html
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/10/the-angels-managerial-search.html
Those cheating Astros!
am I the only one that sees joe Mauer as a fit
Yes
No
JOE GIRARDI
Give the job to Meulens and have him bridge the gap until Tommy Watkins is ready (or somebody better becomes available).
When did Rocco Baldelli become Luke Skywalker?
I hope Mills stays with the Tribe, love the Tito-“Millsy” combo.
All these names for potential managers are terrible. Twins need to get a new list going.
The Twins haven’t hired a manager with major league experience since 1976? No wonder they haven’t won anything in a long time.
They certainly have since ‘76
I understand a new front office wants to put in “their guy”… but shouldn’t they have a better idea who that guy would be by now? It’s been over a year with Molitor and they fired him weeks ago. The past year they should have been looking around saying… “humm, watch that guy. I bet he’ll be a good choice.”
And then they still have to interview that guy right? Maybe they did what you said and noticed more thank one guy? Thus a larger list to interview.
That’s a really long list… and it’s taken some time.
So they shouldn’t be thorough?
They should know who they want. When you take a job as GM, you have a good idea what direction you want to go. It’ll probably be Shelton. That’s who they seem to be favoring.
So whomever they had in their “list” when they took the job several years ago they should just hire? God forbid they add to the list … and also …. learn about other organizations …. and also to have now interviewed others so when other positions come up they may be on that list ….. all because Melchez needs to know know who the manager is today, right now?
I don’t care who their manager is now. What I’m saying is… they know who it will be. If they don’t, then they are a very confused bunch. They are probably waiting till before the World Series to announce or after. I’m sure they know. They aren’t sitting at their desks throwing papers around saying “Who are we going to pick?” If they are, then it’s not a good situation.
It appears Baldelli is interviewing today per the update. He must have made a good first impression. Should be an interesting decision.
Hensley Meulens is the Kim Ng of managerial candidates. I’ve read his name for “consideration” of managerial openings for the last 15-20 years, and he still hasn’t gotten a chance.
And I’m glad of it. After Boch leaves after this year (Am I wrong about this?) I think he’d be great for the Giants
My #1 choice for Yanks’ manager was Rob Thompson. Your boy “Bam Bam” was by far and away my #2 choice above the rest.
You’re not wrong about Bochy leaving. I see it as 50/50, but you are the most objective Giants’ fan here with regards to painful debate of “rebuild vs compete”
The new GM should bring in a fresh face to manage, not the hitting guru who has been behind some of the worst offensive teams in recent memory. I’m sure Muelens is a great baseball mind, but this team needs to get out of the rut they are stuck in, and I don’t think promoting from within is the best way to accomplish that.
Showalter, Quade or Scioscia.